Facing form



1,5 into position.

Patented June 26, 1934 PATENT OFFICE FACING FORM William Gaul, Mount Prospect, Ill., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to The Carpenter-Hiatt SalesCompany, Chicago, `Ill., a corporationof Colorado Application May 9, r1931, serial No. 536,155

3 claims. (c1. 226-17) This invention relates to fruit packing apparatus, and has been illustrated as embodied in a facing form equipped with guide pins for aiding in positioning of a liner and for preliminarily holding it in place, together with positively acting clampsfor holding the liner securely in place during the packing operation.

According to the illustrated form of this invention, each clamp comprises a member pivoted to the ange of a facing form and provided with a spring tending to press its active end into engagement with the rim of a facing form or to clamp the liner against the rim. Spaced uniformly around the liner rim are a plurality of pins beveled at their upper ends to guide the edge of the liner The invention accomplishes numerous objects, chief among these being the provision of apparatus which speeds up the process of packing fruit or the like, and which may nevertheless be simply and cheaply constructed. In the packing industry where one facing form is used over and over again, an improvement in thatl form which saves even a second in each operation is eX- tremely desirable, inasmuch as the time saved in each operation is cumulative. Perhaps more important still is the saving of the nerves of the packer, enabling him to work more eiciently throughout the day. Accordingly, the provision of a clamp for holding a liner in place during operation has formerly been recognized as desirable, though clamps formerly used have been unsatisfactory due to loss of time in applying them or in applying the liner. The present invention provides clamps, and at the same time,

' means for aiding the insertion of the liner in the clamps, so that no time need be lost, and in fact time may actually be saved over the time necessary to position a liner when neither clamp nor guide means are used.

With these and various other objects in view, the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawing and claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, which illustrates an embodiment of the device, and wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a facing form showing the liner in position thereon;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section taken adjacent one of the clamps; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section taken adjacent one of the guide pins.

Although this invention may take many forms, only one has been chosen for illustration.` In the form illustrated, the invention comprises the' combination of certain attachments with the facing form 10. This facing form is used in a Way similar to that in which it has been formerly used. The top choice fruit is placed on theface of the form, a liner 12 is slipped over the rim and is filled up, a basket is slipped over the liner, and the assembly is inverted and the facing form removed, leaving the liner in the basket and the fruit packed therein with the upper layer uniformly and attractively spaced. The facing forms are provided with a rim 14 for centering the liner 12, which may be pressed down on the outside of the rim. It is desirable also to provide a flange 16 to aid in handling the facing form with the basket and for the purposes hereinafter described.

In the forms shown in Figures 1 and 2, a clamp n members 18 and 22 though a pin may be used in K,

one or both of the members if desired.

In order to aid the positioning of the liner, a series of guide pins 32 are provided, preferably spaced equally around the facing form. These pins may be secured to the flange in any manner,

preferably by having their heads 34 riveted over. The inner faces o-f the pins are beveled outwardly, and preferably the upper end of the pin is bent outwardly so that the face may be beveled still further. They are preferably so shaped that at the height of the top of the rim there is only a little more space between rim and pin than the lrhicknessof the liner. With such a construction the liner may be almost dropped into place. Once the liner is nearly rounded by hand, pins perform the function which is normally performed by hand, of pressing in the bulges so that the liner may fit down over the rim. Once the liner has been set down over the rim in this manner, both hands may be taken from it to press the clamp i handles and thus permit the liner to drop into place. But for the guide pins, the liner would often flop down on one side and flop up on the other side, prior to opening the clamps, or would otherwise spring out of alignment so that it could not fall into place when the clamps Were opened. p

It is to be understood that many other embodiments of the invention, including some in improved form, will be apparent, and in the course of time more \,Wil1befdevisedbylthose skilledfin the art. It is-not desired that tliislinvention he limited to the details described, for its scope includes all such forms or improvements as come Within the spirit of the following claims, construed as broadly as the prior art Will permit.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of afacing..form havingan upstanding rim adapted for thepositioningao'f a liner therearound, guide pins located-atmJ plurality of points for aiding in positioning the liner around the rim, said pins having beveled-inneriaces, .and normally resiliently closed means for clamping the liner in position around said rim, saidmeans being so constructed that even when closed it permits the liner ito be 'positioned 'around 'and partly down "over =said irim.

2. Ihecombinationfofa facingfformhaving an upstanding rim adapted for the positioning of a liner therearound, guide pins located at a plurality of points for aiding in positioning the linerV :said rim.

3. The combination of a facing form having an upstanding rim adapted for the positioning of a linertherearound,guide pins located at a plurality ofzpointszforaaidingxin.positioning the liner around zthearimaidpnsmaving beveled inner faces, and

means Securedfto fthe facing form for clamping `the liner in l position around said rim, said means `being spaced sufficiently far from the top of the rimfsoithat even when in the clamping position it permits the liner to be freely positioned around and :partly dOWnoVer-Saiifrim.

also 

